Monday, September 8, marks the start of a new school year—and with it, the usual chaos: traffic, congestion, cars everywhere.

A while back, I had discussions with a city hall in Bucharest about implementing a “School Streets” concept—closing streets around schools to traffic during peak times.

Unfortunately, we didn’t make much progress, but I’m convinced that this is a modern solution to the urban madness about to start next week.

Why make the change? Here are compelling reasons to close traffic, even temporarily, around our schools:

1. Health: Reducing the number of cars also cuts pollution and noise. This can include physical barriers or temporary signage managed by school staff, police, or volunteers.

2. Safety: Strict speed limits (20–30 km/h) on streets around schools increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists, especially children.

3. Community: Green spaces, bike lanes, and wide sidewalks transform school surroundings into welcoming, healthy places for kids, encouraging walking and cycling while reducing dependency on cars.

4. Mobility: Walking “buses” or supervised walking routes for groups of children make the journey to school safe, sustainable, and fun.

5. Traffic Flow: Intelligent traffic re-routing keeps cars on adjacent streets, while still ensuring access for residents during off-peak hours.

6. Multi-functionality: Any school can reimagine the street out front as a car-free space for learning, recreation, or community events—at least during the busiest times of day.

7. Socialization: Freed from traffic, these spaces become vibrant areas for play and connection among families, communities, and teachers.

The benefits are real:

In London, a school street reduced emissions by 74%, traffic by 68%, and walking/cycling increased by 30–51%.

Bolzano, Italy saw accidents drop by over 50% and a boost in students’ physical activity.

London now has more than 500 “school streets”, Paris over 160, and Tirana (Albania) has implemented more per capita than New York City.

“School Streets” show that car-free zones around schools can radically transform children’s urban experience, making cities healthier, safer, and friendlier for the next generation.

It would be inspiring to see these ideas take root in all European big cities.

Let’s turn the streets around schools into places for play, learning, and community—not just for traffic.